Rumors of Victor Cruz, Mike Wallace and Sean Smith created an endless
amount of discussion and excitement this winter, but those whispers soon gave way to an image of a man sanding up the edges of an already well-crafted boat instead of
hanging a new motor off the back, as hoped.

While the Miami Dolphins bid on every
free agent like the richest owners at the table in an auction draft – without regard to
fit or function – the Patriots pretty much spent just enough money to stay the
same.

Cornerback Aqib Talib was signed for one year. Then
offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer was brought back. Wide receiver Wes Welker
ran off to Denver, but his closest known facsimile, Danny Amendola, was quickly
brought in to take his place.

The he-said, she-said drama between the Patriots and
Welker's representatives provided a few days of intrigue, but none of the
actual moves will inspire new dreams of championships or thoughts of 16-0.

Everything that has happened in New England's NFL offseason has been dreadfully
responsible. And make no mistake, that's indeed a dreaded word for
fans and analysts this time of year.

When you bring in someone like Wallace, from March
through August, he's the greatest wide receiver in the league and promises to make
the offense indefensible. You top the various lists of offseason winners – like
the Buffalo Bills did last year by signing Mario Williams – and season
tickets are sold.

Meanwhile, teams like the Patriots, who were quite possibly
a healthy Talib and Rob Gronkowski away from last year's Super Bowl, are
labeled losers. Methodically adding talent to strengthen your core will win you
no friends.

While I'd like to see the Patriots add a few wide receivers
to go with Amendola, and I'm reserving judgment until we see how that position
shakes out, I'm fairly impressed with what Bill Belichick has accomplished.

Defensive linemen Armond Armstead and Jason Vega were
imported from the CFL to help the pass rush. Adrian Wilson was brought in to
provide a little punch and experience at safety.

No new holes were created at corner by bringing back
Talib and retaining slot man Kyle Arrington, and the return game was
drastically improved by signing Leon Washington.

The departure of running back Danny Woodhead means the
more explosive Shane Vereen will get a chance to improve the offense, and
second-year players such as defensive linemen Justin Francis and Chandler
Jones, cornerback Alfonzo Dennard, and linebacker Dont'a Hightower should
continue to get better and grow into bigger roles.

If you dare to dream, maybe corner Ras-I Dowling will be
healthy enough to contribute next season. You may be laughing, but Dowling can
play when healthy.

The makings of a
solid team are already in place. Outside of receiver, the Patriots have
done a good job plugging most of their holes in advance of April's draft, which
will allow them to focus on fit and talent more than need.

Instead of going after a cornerback with a second-round
grade with the 29th pick, they can instead draft a higher-rated
defensive tackle to provide some depth, or a linebacker with some
decent coverage skills.